Jakkari Dropship Concept Art

Here's the dropship design for the upcoming Jakkari story. This is another one courtesy of our friend SickJoe, and you can find more of his work here: https://www.deviantart.com/sickjoe

The Anzud-64 (Jakkari: Great Bird) is a multi-role aircraft used by the Jakkari military. While originally conceived as a heavy transport, its operators quickly realized that its lift capacity would allow it to perform more functions, and various modifications and refits have resulted in the craft we see in service today.

While the Anzud appears outwardly very large and bulky, most of its mass is taken up by the cargo pod. The airframe itself consists of a spine-like hull that runs over the top of the pod, and the four mechanical arms that clamp down around it, which house both the landing gear and thruster pods. Both forward and rear-facing engines are mounted high on the craft, while the cockpit area is slung down in front of the pod for optimal visibility. A small hatch at the rear of the cockpit that mates to the pod allows the crew to pass between them if necessary. The Anzud is perfectly capable of flying in this configuration without a cargo pod, where it may be used as a skycrane to transport heavy or inconvenient loads, and as a recovery vehicle.

The versatility of the Anzud comes from the variety of cargo pods that it can carry. These pods slot in beneath the craft and are securely held in place by its powerful clamps. Some common configurations include:

• Heavy transport for rapid deployment of armored vehicles to the combat zone. The Anzud is capable of lifting everything from a Kirig light tank to a Tuklat armored assault gun and can drop vehicles directly into battle if necessary.

• A bomber variant with integrated bomb bay allows the Anzud to act in a tactical air-to-ground role, launching dumb bombs, torpedoes, and nuclear weapons from its munition carousels.

• The troop transport variant allows the Anzud to ferry multiple teams of soldiers in combat armor to the ground, deploying them rapidly under the cover of smoke launchers mounted on the rear of the hull.

• The close air support configuration transforms the Anzud into a gunship, augmenting its ability to deal damage with two supplemental gas gun ball turrets, a rocket pod, and a side-mounted gas cannon of the same kind seen on Turgu MBTs.

Featuring thick plating similar to that seen on armored vehicles, defensive smoke launchers, and top-mounted chaff and flare pods, the Anzud has earned the nickname of flying tank for its legendary resilience. As well as being a capable and versatile platform, the Anzud is a perfect example of Jakkari ingenuity in the face of scarcity and hardship.